Adaptive packet length traffic control in a local area network

Claim 1

In a communications network having a plurality of nodes connected to a multiple access communications medium with each node executing an access method to obtain exclusive access to the medium after which the node gaining access transmits a packet of information over the medium, an adaptive packet length apparatus for minimizing an average delay for each node gaining access to the medium, comprising: storage means for storing program instructions representing a functional relationship between a packet length for said packet and an information flow rate in said medium, said functional relationship being that said packet length increases as said information flow rate increases in order to maintain a minimum value of an average delay for a node to gain access to said medium; measurement means coupled to said medium for measuring an average information flow rate in said medium; buffer means at each node coupled to a source of information to be transmitted and coupled to said medium for temporarily storing a block of said information from said source prior to transmission over said medium; computing means connected to said storage means, to said measurement means and to said buffer means, for receiving a measured value of said average information flow rate from said measurement means, executing said program instructions from said storage means to operate on said measured value to compute a resultant packet length value, and accessing a sub-block of said block of information in said buffer means, having a length approximate to said resultant packet length value; said buffer means outputting said accessed sub-block of information for transmission over said medium.